Obuasi SHTS sexual scandal: WiLDAF Ghana calls for systemic reforms to protect students

Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF) Ghana has called on the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service (GES) to conduct a national review of school safeguarding systems following sexual abuse allegations at Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS).

The women's rights network said the incident exposed the need to strengthen reporting mechanisms, improve oversight and ensure that students can report sexual violence without fear of intimidation or retaliation.

In a public statement issued on Tuesday, October 20, WiLDAF Ghana said the response to the allegations must go beyond the interdiction of school officials to address possible institutional failures that could put students at risk.

“The true measure of this response is not the number of officials sanctioned, but whether the truth is established, students are protected, responsibility is fairly determined, and the institutional failures that may have enabled the alleged misconduct are corrected,” the statement said.

The organisation acknowledged the interdiction of the school's headmaster, the referral of the complaint to the police and the decision by the Ashanti Regional and Obuasi Municipal Directors of Education to step aside.

However, it called for a credible, impartial and thorough investigation into the allegations and how school and education authorities handled the complaints.

WiLDAF Ghana urged the Ghana Police Service, including the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU), GES and child protection agencies to ensure that affected students and witnesses receive appropriate psychosocial, medical, legal and child protection support.

It also stressed the need to protect students' identities and privacy and prevent intimidation, retaliation or pressure on anyone who reports or intends to report sexual abuse.

The organisation further called for a time-bound safeguarding plan for senior high schools, clearer responsibilities for school leaders and education directors, and stronger student participation in school safety initiatives.

It proposed establishing national hotlines and reporting channels for gender-based violence in schools, as well as a system for assessing and rating educational institutions based on their compliance with measures to prevent and report school-related gender-based violence.

“Obuasi SHTS must become a turning point in how Ghana prevents, identifies, and responds to sexual violence in its schools,” the statement said.